4 ms·
I upvoted you because I want to discuss your point. I have a theory that homelessness is an industry that employs tons of people who are unable to find work el
by jelliclesfarm 6y ago
I upvoted you because I want to discuss your point.
I have a theory that homelessness is an industry that employs tons of people who are unable to find work elsewhere. The homeless are the product.
Non profit org, public sector employees, donations, city employees, univ PhD researchers, grants etc...for every dollar, more than 60%(I will have to look up the exact number)..will go towards managing the homeless rather than aiding the homeless find a roof over their heads.
This might seem like a cynical way to view this but there is no reason why SF is spending in excess of 500 million dollars in ONE YEAR and still have homeless on the street.
There is literally zero incentive to solve homelessness. Now imagine the problem is resolved..how many people will be out of work? These are not drug addicts or mentally ill..they are educated and normal functioning people who need jobs..they need to be employed. Without a job, they will be unemployed and likely unhoused due to economic necessity.
Of course, people can migrate out of bay area. That would be the rational thing to do. Millions of immigrants do this every single day. But Americans won’t travel coast to coast in the worlds most boring homogeneous country where any freeway or Walmart or mcD in CA is no diff than in NH if economic survival and upward mobility is the imperative.
That’s my 2c anyways.
- jxramos 6y agoSomeone originally turned me on to CityJournal here on HN some years ago. I'm pretty sure it was this article that did it buried in some comment https://www.city-journal.org/html/sidewalks-san-francisco-13321.html https://www.city-journal.org/html/sidewalks-san-francisco-13.... I'm not sure if it was coined there but the author uses this term the "homelessness-industrial complex". It was a pretty shocking thing to read back then to contemplate something so cynical, but I think these outcomes can manifest even without outright malice and scheming. So I hear you on the cynical take being a downer, it's all so frustrating the lack of progress.